Law Student Division Assembly Information

About the Law Student Division Assembly

The ABA Law Student Division Assembly is the voice of law students in the ABA. It is an opportunity for ABA Representatives, SBA Presidents, and Division Entity Liaisons to represent their law school by voting on resolutions that will help form the Division’s voice within the ABA for the coming year. ABA Representatives and SBA Presidents will receive training about their roles as representatives, mingle with fellow leaders at other law schools, and vote for national representatives. Events being on Thursday morning and culminate with the Assembly on Saturday afternoon.

The Law Student Division Assembly is comprised of:

• Each ABA-accredited school’s ABA Representative.
• Each ABA-accredited school’s Student Bar Association President.
• Law Student Division Entity Liaisons.
• Up to three representatives appointed by affiliate student legal associations.

Assembly Voting Power

Members of the Assembly decide important ABA Law Student Division legislation, and national student leadership elections. Assembly members vote on:

• Matters before the Assembly, in-person during the ABA Annual Meeting in August.
• Elected positions for the Law Student Division Council in March and then August.
• Resolutions submitted at the discretion of the Council for an electronic vote throughout the year.

You do not need to be present at ABA Annual Meeting in order to vote in elections for Law Student Council positions.

If you can’t attend Annual Meeting, a proxy can cast your vote at Annual Assembly on resolutions! To be eligible to be a proxy, the student must:

• Be an ABA member.
• Attend your law school.
• Be attending Annual Meeting.
• Exception: Liaisons cannot proxy their vote.

ABA Reps and SBA Presidents must use this form to certify their proxy.

Submitting a Resolution

Any member of the Law Student Division may submit a resolution to the Law Student Division Council at any time. For the Assembly to consider a resolution at its once a year in-person meeting during ABA Annual Meeting, the resolution must be submitted by June 15.

Review the ABA Law Student Division Resolutions Guide, and review previous resolutions below. You may submit your resolution proposals or questions to the Division Director and/or any member of the Council.

Resolution E-Voting Procedure

In addition to considering resolutions once a year at an in-person Assembly meeting at Annual Meeting in August, The Law Student Division Council may put forward resolutions for an electronic vote of the Assembly at any time during the year through its Remote Meeting and Electronic Voting Policy [PDF].

Any Division member can submit a resolution to the Council for consideration. Please contact a Council member for more information.

Key Assembly Documents and Links

• Letter to Deans Encouraging Funding and Attendance
• Law Student Division Bylaws
• 2018 Assembly Book
• Robert’s Rules of Order – Slide Show
• Robert’s Rules of Order for Annual Assembly Webinar (Required for Assembly voters)
• Assembly Caucuses
• Sample Resolutions
  • Encouraging Adoption of the Uniform Bar Exam
  • Endorsement of Anti-discrimination Amendments to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Previous Electronic Voting Resolution Results

• 18/10-01 Revising the Law Student Division Election Cycles
  • Sponsors: Law Student Division Council.
  • Date of Assembly Vote: October 29 – November 1, 2018.
  • Result: IN FAVOR, 144-8 (bylaws change required 2/3rds affirmative)
• 17/04-01: Undocumented Law Students Resolution
  • Sponsors: Law Student Division Council.
  • Date of Assembly vote: April 19-23, 2017.
  • Result: IN FAVOR, 102-43.